Click here to read the 2017 Bahamas Bowl Weekly Release – Week 7 – October 14 (PDF)
THIS WEEKEND: Saturday in Conference USA, there are six league games and one non-conference matchup. West Division leader North Texas (3-2, 2-0) hosts UTSA (3-1, 0-1). In the East, Old Dominion (2-3, 0-1) is at Marshall (4-1, 1-0). UTEP (0-6, 0-2) visits Southern Miss (3-2, 1-1) in a West Division tilt. Also in the East, WKU (3-2, 1-1) hosts Charlotte (0-6. 0-2). One key cross-division game has Middle Tennessee (3-3, 1-1) heading to UAB (3-2, 1-1). The lone non-conference game has FIU (3-2) hosting Tulane.
Saturday in the MAC, there are five league games and the final non-conference game of the season before the bowls. The top game is a battle between division leaders as Akron (3-3, 2-0) goes to Western Michigan (4-2, 2-0). Akron has won two straight, and WMU has four straight after an 0-2 start. In the West, Toledo (4-1 1-0) heads to Central Michigan (3-3, 1-1). in the East Division, Miami (2-4, 1-1) is at Kent State (1-5, 0-2) and Ohio (4-2, 1-1) visits Bowling Green (1-5, 1-1). In another cross-division contest, Northern Illinois (3-2, 1-0) is at Buffalo (3-3, 1-1). In non-conference action, Eastern Michigan (2-3) visits Army.
THE MOST #MACTION GAME OF ALL TIME: Western Michigan and Buffalo had a game for the record books in Buffalo last Saturday as WMU won 71-68 in seven overtimes. The seven OTs tied the FBS record for most extra periods in a single game and the 139 combined points were the most in FBS history. The teams combined for 19 touchdowns and 1,328 yards of total offense in a game that took four hours and 31 minutes to play. Buffalo tied the game at 31-31 with a field goal with :34 left in regulation. In OT, Western Michigan outscored the Bulls 40-37, and the game was not decided until Broncos RB Jarvion Franklin scored on a 12-yard TD run in the seventh OT after Buffalo made a field goal earlier on its possession. Buffalo QB Drew Anderson threw for a MAC-record 597 yards and tied a conference record with seven TD passes. Franklin rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns — in overtime — and 176 rush yards overall. He also caught a pass for a TD in regulation play. The victory put Western Michigan at the top of the MAC West Divison standings at 2-0, 4-2 overall.
BLOCKED: UAB got a Homecoming victory in improbable fashion in Birmingham over Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs lined up for a potential 30-yard game-winning field goal, but junior Stacy Keely jumped and blocked the kick, and made the ensuing tackle, to preserve a 23-22 victory.
WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Oct. 14
* Old Dominion at Marshall (ESPN3)
* Charlotte at WKU (FLO)
* Middle Tennessee at UAB (beIN)
* UTSA at North Texas (ESPN3)
* UTEP at Southern Miss
Tulane at FIU (CUSA TV)
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Saturday, Oct. 14
* Akron at Western Michigan (CBSSN)
* Miami at Kent State (ESPN3)
* Northern Illinois at Buffalo (ESPN3)
* Ohio at Bowling Green (ESPN3)
* Toledo at Central Michigan (ESPN3)
Eastern Michigan at Army (CBSSN)
* – conference games
WEEK 6 RESULTS
CONFERENCE USA
Saturday, Oct. 7
* Middle Tennessee 37, FIU 17
* UAB 23, Louisiana Tech 22
* Marshall 14, Charlotte 3
* Florida Atlantic 58, Old Dominion 28
* Southern Miss 31, UTSA 29
* WKU 15, UTEP 14
Army 49, Rice 12
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Saturday, Oct. 7
* Toledo 20, Eastern Michigan 15
* Central Michigan 26, Ohio 23
* Bowling Green 37, Miami 29
* Northern Illinois 24, Kent State 3
* Akron 31, Ball State 3
* Western Michigan 71, Buffalo 68 (7 OT)
* – conference games
WEEK 6 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
CONFERENCE USA
Offensive Player of the Week
Southern Miss RB Ito Smith: The junior rushed for 178 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown and caught two passes in a 31-29 victory at UTSA.
Defensive Player of the Week
Middle Tennessee LB Khalil Brooks: The junior posted eight tackles (six solo) and three sacks in a 37-17 victory over FIU.
Special Teams Player of the Week
UAB DE Stacy Keely: The junior blocked a 30-yard field goal and made the ensuing tackle as time expired in a 23-22 victory over Louisiana Tech.
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Buffalo QB Drew Anderson: The junior threw for 597 yards and 7 TD and ran for a another TD in a seven-OT loss to Western Michigan.
East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Bowling Green LB Brandon Harris: The junior returned a fumble 93 yards for a touchdown in a 37-29 victory over Miami.
East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Akron P/K Nick Gasser: The junior punted six times for a 45.0 average in a 31-3 victory over Ball State.
West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Western Michigan RB Jarvion Franklin: The senior rushed 37 times for 176 yards and four TDs and caught a pass for a TD in a 71-68 seven-OT victory over Buffalo.
West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Northern Illinois DE Sutton Smith: The sophomore had 10 tackles, three sacks and four tackles for loss in a 24-3 victory over Kent State.
West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Central Michigan DB Sean Bunting: The sophomore returned a missed field goal 60 yards for a touchdown in a 26-23 victory over Ohio.
C-USA VS. MAC
The 2017 Bahamas Bowl will be contested between Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. C-USA won the 2017 season series vs. the MAC 4-3.
Conference USA is 2-1 vs. the MAC all time in the Bahamas Bowl.
Sept. 1
Eastern Michigan (MAC) 24, Charlotte (C-USA) 7
Sept. 2
Marshall (C-USA)31, Miami (MAC) 26
Sept. 9
Ball State (MAC) 51, UAB (C-USA) 31
Sept. 16
Marshall (C-USA) 21, Kent State (MAC) 0
Sept. 23
WKU (C-USA) 33, Ball State (MAC) 21
Middle Tennessee (C-USA) 24, Bowling Green (MAC) 13
Buffalo (MAC) 34, Florida Atlantic (C-USA) 31
AROUND THE CONFERENCES
• This season in MAC crossover games the East and West Division are tied at 3-3 and will play 18 crossover games during the regular season. The MAC West has had the upper hand in crossover regular season games against the MAC East, winning the head-to-head regular season series in eight of the last nine years as the West holds a 109-53 (.673%) regular season record over the East during that span.
• Florida Atlantic sophomore RB Devin “Motor” Singletary registered his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game at Old Dominion, carrying 26 times for 194 yards and two TDs. It was Singletary’s third straight game with multiple TDs and he now has 11 through six games (tied for second in the FBS).
• Northern Illinois sophomore DE Sutton Smith had three sacks and four tackles for loss in a 24-3 victory over Kent State. This season, Smith has 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Both totals lead the nation.
• North Texas is off to a 2-0 start in conference play for the first time since 2004. The Mean Green lead C-USA and rank 22nd in FBS with a 38.8 scoring average and top the conference and place ninth in the FBS in total offense at 510.8 yards per game.
• Toledo senior WR Cody Thompson is tied for eighth in the nation for the longest current reception streak. He extended his streak to 30 consecutive games, but a leg injury vs. Eastern Michigan will force him to miss the remainder of the regular season.
• Marshall QB Chase Litton has the second-longest streak with a touchdown pass in FBS. Litton has thrown a TD pass in 27 consecutive games.
“POWER FIVE” VICTORIES
A list of Conference USA and MAC victories over “Power Five” opponents (teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC).
Sept. 9
Central Michigan (MAC) 45, Kansas (Big 12) 27
Eastern Michigan (MAC) 16, Rutgers (Big Ten) 13
Middle Tennessee (C-USA) 30, Syracuse (ACC) 23
UTSA (C-USA) 17, Baylor (Big 12) 10
Sept. 16
Northern Illinois (MAC) 21, Nebraska (Big Ten) 17
Ohio (MAC) 42, Kansas 30 (Big 12) 30
BAHAMAS BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS
Media Organization (Reporter) – Date: Predicted Matchup
10thYearSeniors.com (John Marc Nutt) – Oct. 11: Southern Miss vs. Ohio
Nassau Tribune (Renaldo Dorsett) – Oct. 11: Louisiana Tech vs. Toledo
The Score (Brett McMurphy) – Oct. 11: Marshall vs. Ohio
Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan) – Oct. 11: Southern Miss vs. Ohio
USA Today (Erick Smith) – Oct. 10: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois
SI.com (Eric Single) – Oct. 10: Florida Atlantic vs. Northern Illinois
Bleacher Report (Kerry Miller) – Oct. 10: Southern Miss vs. Toledo
The Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Oct. 9: Marshall vs. Ohio
Orlando Sentinel (Brant Parsons) – Oct. 8: Southern Miss vs. Northern Illinois
SB Nation (Jason Kirk) – Oct. 8: Southern Miss vs. Eastern Michigan
ESPN.com (Kyle Bonagura) – Oct. 8: Louisiana Tech vs. Ohio
ESPN.com (David M. Hale) – Oct. 8: Middle Tennessee vs. Northern Illinois
CBSSports.com (Jerry Palm) – Oct. 8: UTSA vs. Western Michigan
College Sports Madness (CSM Staff) – Oct. 8: Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo
CollegeFootballNews.com (Pete Fiutak) – Oct. 1: WKU vs. Toledo
The Athletic (Stewart Mandel) – Aug. 29: UTSA vs. Northern Illinois
Sports on Earth (Matt Brown) – Aug. 21: Southern Miss vs. Miami (Ohio)
Phil Steele Magazine (Phil Steele) – Magazine: Louisiana Tech vs. Miami (Ohio)
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
During 2017, the Bahamas Bowl will spotlight an alumni player from our partner conferences: Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.
BRETT FAVRE (SOUTHERN MISS)
Brett Favre (Photo Credit: Southern Miss Athletics)
Former star NFL quarterback Brett Favre played his college career at Southern Miss from 1987-90.
Favre started as a 17-year-old freshman, and he became one of the school’s all-time greats. He led the Golden Eagles to 29 victories including road wins over Alabama, Auburn and Florida State during his career.
He ranks second at Southern Miss in passing yards (7,695), is tied for second in touchdown passes (52) and is second in total offensive yards (7,606). He had five 300-yard passing games and five three-TD games, while his 7,695 regular-season pass yards ranked him among the top 30 of all-time NCAA passers.
Favre was MVP of the 1990 All-American Bowl in a loss to N.C. State, and he was also named MVP of the 1991 East-West Shrine Game.
He was a second-round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and was traded to Green Bay before the 1992 season.
Favre played 16 seasons from 1992-2007 with the Packers. He was a three-time consecutive Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player (1995-97), a three-time All-Pro, an 11-time Pro Bowl participant and he led the Packers to the Super Bowl XXXI title.
He holds NFL records for completions (6,300), pass attempts (10,169) and passing yards (71,838). His 508 passing touchdowns, a NFL record at the time of his 2010 retirement, is now second in league history. He also holds the NFL mark for consecutive starts with 297 in the regular season (321 including playoffs).
He finished his career with the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
ESPN EVENTS
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.
Collegiate Football
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (St. Petersburg, Fla.); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Texas Bowl (Houston); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Collegiate Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (TBD); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)
